 THE IDEA that congestion charging could be introduced through the back door in Liverpool has provoked a predictably fierce response. The Daily Post revealed yesterday that Merseyside's councils are paving the way for the introduction of congestion charging by bidding for special funding only available for such schemes. Senior councillors insist they do not want to introduce road charging in Liverpool, but claim ministers are leaving them with no choice. Next month, they will submit a bid to the Government's new Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) for cash to research ways to tackle congestion. Although congestion is growing it is not yet regarded as a major problem by decision-makers or the public across Merseyside. There is, however, growing recognition that it is becoming an increasing problem in certain areas. Senior councillors have been told that the Government was "very keen" for Merseyside to bid. Any schemes which come from that research will then be the subject of a bid to the second layer of TIF, which is set to become the main source of cash for large schemes in the future. It will release up to £200m a year to fund large-scale schemes. But one of the conditions of getting that cash is that any scheme brought forward will contain an element of "road pricing." Transport minister Stephen Ladyman has told officers: "The TIF ship is set to sail, it would be better to be on it than not." Although a scheme would take several years to implement, consultants have already worked out it would cost £40m to install sophisticated closed-circuit cameras at all gateways to the city centre, and £10m a year to run. We ask: Would congestion charging help reduce car use and cut down on air pollution in the city centre? Or would it stifle Merseyside's economy? alanweston@dailypost.co.uk NEXT YES: The case for >>> | 
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